During the signing ceremony of the agreement, held in Havana, the Japanese diplomat emphasized that this initiative, channeled through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), constitutes the second collaboration between Tokyo and the UN agency for the benefit of Cuba, the first during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We trust that this new project will contribute to the improvement of services and infrastructure related to access to water and maternal and child health in vulnerable communities in the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo,” stated the ambassador, while recalling the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and other extreme weather events that have impacted the region in recent years.
For her part, the Deputy Representative in Cuba, Sunny Guidotti, described the initiative as “an investment in rights”: the right of children and adolescents to grow up healthy, study in safe schools, and receive quality care, even in emergency situations.
“Cuba is increasingly facing the impact of climate change, with annual losses equivalent to 4.6% of GDP.
In the last two years alone, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo have suffered hurricanes, floods, droughts, and earthquakes with a direct impact on essential services for children,” Guidotti noted.
The 24-month project will prioritize schools and health centers exposed to multiple risks, directly benefiting children, adolescents, and pregnant women in communities in eastern Cuba.
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